The Landscape Contractor magazine August 2015 by Association Publishing Partners

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p.o. box 748 • st. charles, il 60174 847.742.1790 • fax 847.742.2655 www.midwestgroundcovers.com

August 2015

CONTENTS

Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

FOCUS: Digital Design Digital Design Brought Into Focus 10 An interview with SketchUp expert Daniel Tal Perennials in Focus 18 ILCA Plant Recommendation Panel 20 Best Understory Trees and Shrubs

New Board Member Profile Kevin Manning

Committee Chair Profile 30 Summer Field Day — Jon Warner

Renewal and Remembrance 32 ILCA members participate in Day of Service

DeVroomen Celebrates 90th Anniversary A venerable old member celebrates a milestone

Proven Perennials in the Landscape Richard Hawke outlines his favorites

Member Profile 58 Details! Details! Landscape Design Plant All-Stars 62 Cotinus coggygria — ‘Grace’

EN ESPAÑOL

Enfoque en el Diseño Digital Digital Design Brought Into Focus

On the cover... Rosborough Partners, Inc. won a Gold Award in Landscape Construction for this 2014 project. The Landscape Contractor August 2015

62 3

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Rick Reuland The Morton Arboretum DeVroomen Richard Hawke Alex Head

Calendar

4 5 7 58 61

AUGUST

1, 8-9 10, 28, 30-37, 42 20-23, 25-27 42, 44-45 46-57 62

The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net Volume 56, Number 8. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication.

ILCA Staff

Magazine Staff

Executive Director Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net

Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) 637-8632 rmgi@comcast.net

Education Manager Julie Nicoll jnicoll@ilca.net Membership & Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Office Manager Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net

Cantigny Park Wheaton, IL

Debbie Rauen Advertising Sales (817-501-2403) debbie.landscapecontractor@ yahoo.com

Contact Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net or visit ilca.net —

v Becke Davis Senior Writer treethyme@aol.com Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net Panel Chairs Jim Fizzell jjfizz@aol.com Greg Pierceall pierceal@purdue.edu

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From Where I Stand... We’re all going to die. Abstractly, we know

this. At some point, under some circumstances, we will slip the mortal coil. It is the one thing every single person who has come before us has had in common. The mightiest king, the lowliest peasant, all of us pass away. Blue Oyster Cult once sang in “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” that 40,000 men and women die every day. It’s a memorable line, albeit poorly researched. Across the world, 155,000 men and women die every day. That is about 56 million people every year. In Illinois, between 100,000 and 110,000 people die every year, 290 per day. The old saying goes that death is hardest on the living. Most human beings hate good byes and there is none more difficult than death. We share both extreme reverence and interest in the dead. Almost every modern culture creates abstract rituals for dealing with death. Some are borne from religious beliefs, others from cultural practices. I’ve been to an Irish wake, Italian funeral, Jewish Shiva and black Baptist church and respect that we all grieve differently. For years, the tradition was a wake, sometimes lasting multiple days, followed by a funeral. Wakes can range from lively celebrations to hushed vigils. We share stories and pictures. We lean on each other. Funerals are more solemn. We attempt to slow the pace of time, not wanting to let go. We bow heads, we hold hands, we shuffle our feet, we say good bye. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, our mortal journeys ended in a cemetery. Bodies were lowered, flowers were dropped, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Headstones were used to summarize life. Large granite slabs contained the basics - name, lifespan, and parting words - the monuments of our existence. Cemeteries are quiet and serene. Rows of stones are interspersed with tall trees and green grass. Occasionally, we visit our dead. Respectfully, we stand by their graves. We bring flowers. We grieve. We cry. We talk to stones. They do not answer. We look out over the landscape — we take in the birds, the quiet, and the stillness. We nod, we head back to our cars, and we drive away. Cemeteries are declining in popularity in the United States and around the world. In 1960, less than 4% of the US population was cremated. In 2010, that number had jumped to 41%. By 2025, cremation will be the most popular death ritual topping 56%. In Western states like Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, almost 70% of bodies are cremated. In Illinois, about 30% of bodies are cremated. Around the world, it depends mostly on religion and culture. In Asian countries, cremation rates are over 90%. In Muslim countries, it is practically zero. In Europe, the cremation rate is about 30%.

A number of religious and cultural changes have led to cremation becoming more popular. The most significant change was the Catholic Church removing their objection to cremation in the 1960s. Additionally, the costs of burials continue to rise. The average cost of interment is about $6,500 where the cost of cremation rarely tops $2,000. Families are changing. The idea of the family plot becomes less practical as families spread out across the country. Further, families divorce and remarry which makes the finality of one burial location more complicated. Lastly, secular beliefs like environmental impact and space constraints are causing more to look at cremation as a preferred alternative. One of my best friends died on his 21st birthday. He fell down a flight of stairs. I was ten feet away from him when he landed. He was taken off life support a few hours later and died later that night. He was waked. There was a funeral. He was cremated. Unfortunately, his parents moved away. Remaining in the area was too difficult for them. Maintaining relationships with his friends was impossible. We were graduating from college, getting jobs, starting families and each of our achievements only amplified their loss. When they moved, they took his urn with them. My high school decided to plant a tree in his honor. It is a maple tree outside of a room I used to have for sophomore English class. There was no plaque. No dedication ceremony. It was merely a tree the school agreed to plant for us. I would guess there is no record of its purpose or meaning anywhere in the school archives. Every year, for the past 17 years, my friends and I return to the tree on my friend’s birthday. We stand around the tree, usually knee deep in snow. We talk, tell a few stories, pray, cry, and laugh. Every year, the tree grows a little. We grow a little too. I think back at the angry 21-year old who stood under that tree the year he died. I think of the 30-year old panged by guilt and loss while my life was only taking shape. I think of the 33 year old who held his baby daughter as she reached out to grab its branches. I think of the acceptance and wisdom that has come over the years as the branches continue to shoot upward and provide shade and cover to those beneath. I love the idea of cremation. The notion of spreading ashes in nature is powerful to me. It is the idea that tiny pieces of ourselves will float among the wind. It is our last chance to travel the world, and be one with it, for eternity. Ashes are the pieces left behind as we transition forward. The problem with cremation is that for those left behind, there is no place to go. There is no headstone or monument at which to pay respects. There is nowhere to lay flowers or talk it out. The tree that was planted in my friend’s honor has become that monument. Long before I ever worked for ILCA, I understood the value of a tree — one single, solitary tree. Human beings are not inanimate. Granite stones are beauti-

The Giving Tree

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

From Where I Stand... ful and enduring, but they fail to capture the essence of being alive. Humanity is a paradox. We are fragile but strong. We are similar yet unique. We consume but give back. Trees are silent, unless you pay attention. In death, we are no different. The green industry has always been part of the grieving process. The smell of cut flowers and wreaths fill the air in quiet funeral parlors. Cemeteries are meticulously maintained. Flowers and plants are laid in front of gravestones. We greet death with life, maybe, even trying to overpower it. With cremations, a landscape company can go a step further. I urge a landscape company to partner with a funeral home. As part of the cremation or burial process, a young tree could be planted in honor of the deceased. A few weeks after cremation or interment, a crew would show up to plant a tree selected by the family weeks before. On its face, this may seem crass. I argue, from experience, that it is anything but. Coffins, urns, and candles are cold artifacts. Trees are something different. Imagine a tree growing in the backyard — planted in the honor of a spouse, parent, grandparent, or friend. Its growth would mark the passage of time. A silent sentry for those left behind. We’d look at the tree outside of our window, and it would look back My friend’s tree has become an important symbol in my life and the life of my friends. His was a life that ended too soon and abruptly. Yet, every January when we gather, I still see life. Every time I take the long way home in the summer, and drive past my old high school, I see a lush, leafy tree hurdling upward.

I know my friend is not that tree. If that tree were to die or split in two from a windstorm, I would not grieve. We would immediately plant a new tree. We would gather there. Once I was able to transfer the spirit of my friend onto something else, it becomes that much easier to do it again. I have already let go once, under the most difficult set of circumstances, letting go the second time would be much easier. Through cremation, more and more of us long for freedom and a return to nature. Yet, we also need to remember those left behind. Those who want to pay tribute to our lives. Those who need us there when we can no longer be. I close with a passage from Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” It is a book that I still struggle to get through nestled between my son and my daughter. At parts, my chin quivers and voice trembles. My kids ask, “what is wrong?” I smile, take a breath, and press on. On this issue, no words I can write would be better than these: Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy. And every day the boy would come, and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest. He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved the tree very much. And the tree was happy. Scott Grams July 24, 2015

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

President’s Message A long, long time ago if you wanted to get a lot of people’s attenPresident

Rusty Maulding Nature’s View (815) 592-7582 rusty@naturesview.info

Vice-President

Mike Schmechtig Schmechtig Landscape Company (847) 566-1233 mschmechtig@schmechtiglandscapes.com

Secretary-Treasurer

Lisa Fiore Kositzki Don Fiore Company, Inc. (847) 234-0020 lfiore@donfiore.com

Immediate Past President Kevin Vancina Vancina Landscaping, Inc. (815) 726-2300 kvancina@sbcglobal.net

Directors

Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Lisa Fiore Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply (847) 913-1414 lisa@cjfiore.com Jose Garcia Natural Creations Landscaping, Inc. (815) 724-0991 info@naturalcreationslandscaping.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net

Kevin Manning K & D Entreprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com Maureen Scheitz Acres Group (847) 526-4554 maureen.scheitz@acresgroup.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

www.ilca.net

tion you posted a sign. Then the signs got bigger, lights were added and some were even made out of lights. You couldn’t go anywhere without being bombarded by these signs. It became difficult to differentiate the signs as each one cried out to be noticed. Then came the internet. Flashing small signs everywhere. There was no place that was safe. Following this trend, social media took on a life of its own as folks yearned to have their voices heard. People began posting their thoughts more brazenly for the whole world to see. Just a short time ago, these thoughts would have only been shared over a pint with close friends. Today, we’re not just for-or-against something, we must do so colorfully and absolutely! And those that don’t agree with us can just go to H-E-double hockey sticks. Through my completely unscientific research, I find that about 45% of people are in support of some ideology, 45% are against the same ideology and the remaining 10% aren’t on Facebook and are blissfully unaware that any of it matters. What has happened to the use of non-inflammatory language in an effort to get your point of view not only heard, but understood and accepted? The art of reaching a compromise? In business, I learned long ago that differing points of view should be seen as a beneficial thing. That through open and honest discussion to solve problems some middle ground will appear that can benefit all. This is not easy, however. It takes work and the willingness of all to do what’s best to solve the problem. Shared values and goals are essential to making it work. I find that when working on certain projects, whether it be an unusual landscape design, how to best serve a client’s needs and still hold true to our core values, or even dealing with a thorny scheduling problem, a different point of view is helpful. Corrie, my wife and business partner, could not be more different than me. It often takes time for us to communicate what each other is thinking because we think so differently. At the end of the day, she’s better at some things than I am and she lets me think that I am better at her at other things. Together our work is always better than what either one of us could do on our own. We play to our strengths, our differences, and come together so that our clients and employees benefit. So who do you have to collaborate with? If you are a project manager, landscape designer, production manager or an owner/operator, you may not have a peer group in your organization to bounce ideas off of. If you do, cultivate those relationships as we roll into August and exhale slightly before heading into fall work. If you don’t (well, frankly, even if you do), ILCA is a great place to develop relationships with other industry professionals who understand your problems and may equally benefit from collaboration. Join a committee, attend events, or offer to speak on a topic the industry would benefit from. Whatever you do, one of the best ways to get value out of your membership is get involved and meet people. Some of these eople will think differently than you do, but also want to see a better, more professional landscape industry. A new tool is coming soon that will better enable you to take advantage of your membership and be more engaging for other trades and consumers. After much discussion about target audiences, purpose and flow, the Board and staff will soon unveil our new website. We think you’ll love its ease of use, access to new content, and improved transparency of our association. In the meantime, reach out and get involved so we might all benefit. I’m sure staff will announce your next opportunity soon through an email blast or Facebook post – or both! No profanity or absolute life views included. Rusty Maulding July 24, 2015 The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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gular pattern. Bluestone forms the step treads as well as the tops of the landings in a similar rectangular pattern. Dry-laid bluestone walkways mirror the terracing while thoughtfully connecting the front of the house to the existing sidewalk and driveway using smooth curves and 90Âş angles. The plantings, are intentionally limited in variety, but carefully chosen for their multi-season impact. Karen azaleas not only create bold spring color, but also provide a brilliant crimson fall display. Hydrangea, weigela, and several designated spots for annual color provide long-lasting summer interest. The front of this home, through the implementation of a well thought-out design, constructed of natural stone and carefully chosen plants, has truly been transformed from a bland facade into a grand entrance.

Hills wanted to celebrate their sophisticated style of the interior with an update to the front foundation of the house. Their original plantings lacked organization and were too busy looking for the clean facade. The front steps leading down to the walk were steep and hazardous, especially during the winter months. The homeowners asked for a walkway leading from the stoop to the sidewalk, to their existing walkway, connected to the driveway. The resulting design is a fluid, clean look obtained by combining an arc-tangent hardscape with a colorful, yet simple plant pallette. The new bluestone stoop has been extended into several terraces with wide landings, eliminating the need for hand rails. Both the stoop and the walls are mortared with concrete footings to provide extra strength and longevity. The walls, coping and step risers are constructed of flagstone, laid in a random-rectanThe Landscape Contractor August 2015

Focus — Digital Design Trends

Digital Design Brought Into Focus

by Meta Levin

When Daniel Tal found

3D imaging, it opened a new world for him. Suddenly his designs took on a new look, an ability to convey more information, benefitting both his clients and him. Now the registered landscape architect runs a 3D laboratory for a Denver, CO engineering company, consults with a 3D imaging company on ways to make the product more valuable to landscape architects, designers and site planners and travels the country running workshops on the software, SketchUp. In fact, in 2015 he presented a two day workshop for ILCA, which was so successful that a four day one is scheduled for next year. SketchUp is a relatively well known piece of 3D design software popular with landscape contractors, architects and designers.

Tal came late to the technology game. He has fond memories of playing games with his Apple 2E, obtained when he was in elementary school. Yet, when it died after a few years, there were no more. “I didn’t touch a computer from 1983 through 1998,” he says. When re-introduced to computers and he saw what he could do with designs, he fell in love. (continued on page 12)

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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Focus — Digital Design Trends (continued from page 10) Tal’s workshops are meant to provide people with a format that serves as an introduction to the topic. From there he builds up to general site design, grading and terrain modeling. Even in notoriously flat Illinois, there is need for grading. SketchUp designs typically begin with a blank template, allowing users to import CAD plans or hand drawings from which they can directly model. Users also can model from scratch, as needed. “The basic tools that come with the software are quick and easy to use,” he says. Various click and drag modes let users draw to scale. There are “plug ins” or “extensions” for the software intended specifically for particular uses, including site design, as well as an extensive plant library. With the plant library, users can choose and place various types of plants in place. Since these, too, are 3D, they can be observed from various angles, allowing viewers to see what the design will look like from different perspectives. And, yes, that includes shadows. Other extensions let users bend models to fit curves and provide photorealistic renderings. Layout, for instance, allows a direct link to the SketchUp model, giving printing and documentation capabilities. Tal recommends SketchUp for several reasons: it is less expensive than many of the other 3D software packages available; it is relatively straightforward and easy to learn the basics, so that new users can begin applying it almost immediately, and it is easy to customize. (continued on page 14)

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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Focus — Digital Design Trends (continued from page 12) Once landscape architects or designers begin using the program, Tal believes that they will find that they are able to express plans to clients in a seamless fashion. That way they can show clients a more realistic view of proposed landscape designs from various angles. While currently SketchUp models can be imported into BIM (Building Information Modeling) software, they come in as static images, not the data rich ones that characterize BIM 3D pictures. Tal is one of several people working with SketchUp developers from various companies to rectify that, because BIM is becoming a standard in the construction industry. For that reason, he believes that landscape architects who work with site design for new construction projects will need to be able to coordinate their designs with the BIM software architecture. Using his landscape architecture background, Tal has worked with SketchUp developers to create tools and other advancements to meet the needs of landscape architects, resulting in not only a website devoted to site design in the software, but also two books, Rendering in SketchUp and SketchUp for Site Design. His wife collaborated with him on the books. Normally located in a computer lab, his workshops are hands-on affairs. Computers in the lab are preloaded with SketchUp software, as well as different tutorials. Tal dem-

onstrates how and what the software can be used for, then has participants work on sample projects. He uses videos, as well as other resources and teaching assistants to instruct participants. Over the years he has noticed that some students take to the software immediately. For others it takes a little more time and practice, and still others struggle, despite the fact that SketchUp is designed to be user friendly. He has teaching assistants sit with those in the latter category, taking them step-by-step through each exercise. In each case he encourages participants to “integrate it into their practice by taking a site drawing and putting it into a 3D model,” says Tal. He wants them to choose a program that is right for them and learn it. “3D is a requirement for many design jobs, in particular for entry and mid-level. If you don’t learn it, your competitors will.” He discovered SketchUp while working for Edaw, a large landscape architecture, urban planning, economics and cultural environmental services firm, now owned by AECom, a design, program and construction management company. During that time he approached his project manager about using SketchUp for projects, but was told it wasn’t feasible or valuable. “I wrote an internal paper saying we should adopt it,” he says, and began working with it on his own. “I wanted to do 3D.” So, he is. And teaching others to do it. As well as looking at the future of technology. From Tal’s point of view, it’s pretty exciting.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Focus — Digital Design Trends What’s happening with digital design in schools? by Meta Levin

3D software suitable for

landscape design or site planning is proliferating. Jessica Henson’s goal is to have her landscape architecture students graduate with the understanding of when it is appropriate and valuable to use 3D modeling on a project, what to use and how and when it can be merged with BIM (building information modeling). It’s as simple - and as complex - as that. “My students have to be knowledgeable enough to have the conversation in a job interview or with a client or potential client,” she says. “The last thing I would want is to have one of them go to a job interview and say he (or she) had never heard of BIM.”

The Assistant Clinical Professor in the University of Illinois Landscape Architecture program, who also is a practicing landscape architect with the national firm, Olin Urban Design, Landscape Architecture & Planning, Henson RLA, ASLA, teaches primarily Rhino3D (Rhinoceros) for use by landscape architects, because, “it is being used by a lot of the top firms.” She does see a lot of students teaching themselves SketchUp, which is okay, because she says a lot of regional firms use it. Besides, there are situations when that software may be the most appropriate to use. Like many in the industry, however,

she is keeping a sharp eye on BIM (Building Information Modeling) software, particularly Autodesk’s Revit, which is the most commonly used BIM program. “I don’t think we’ve started to scratch the surface of what it will mean to our students,” she says. “In my job at Olin, I am seeing a lot of BIM coming in the door.” Daniel Tal, whose SketchUp workshops for ILCA have garnered a loyal following, agrees. Usually landscape architects working in or with a multidisciplinary firm will work with Revit. There are a number of websites comparing 3D software used by landscape architects and designers. Nearly all

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

programs are compatible with Windows, but not all are compatible with Mac or Linux platforms. Most also require proprietary licenses and offer academic licenses (often less expensive). About half support BIM. Revit recently purchased the “site works” plug in, renaming it “site designer,” allowing the program to pull in .xml files, says Henson. “This is useful for site and watershed analysis” among other things. AutoCad Civil 3D, favored by civil engineers, says Tal, has files that can be imported into Revit as data rich smart files of the kind so valued by those using BIM technology.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Plant Recommendation Panel

Abbie Lydon Clarence Davids & Company Landscape Designer

Tony LoBello, L.A. Mariani Landscape Landscape Architect

Annette Held Annette Held Landscape Design Landscape Designer

Best Understory Trees and

By Patrice Peltier

For clients fortunate enough to

have mature shade trees, the next question often becomes how to build a pleasing understory beneath them. Mother Nature isn’t satisfied with a ground layer and a lofty canopy. She fills in with an interesting, ever-changing array of forms, colors and textures…and so should we. For ideas on what makes the best understory trees and shrubs, we turned to the Plant Recommendation Panel.

Bertog Landscape Company The team at Bertog Landscape Company took a roundtable approach to this question, sharing thoughts before a weekly sales meeting. Howard Carren, Design and Sales Director, says it used to be that crabapples were the go-to ornamental understory tree. “But now this place is held by pears,” he says. “Crabs were previously more disease resistant, but now often require more spraying, and many clients don’t want to

‘Chanticleer’ pear

Hamamelis vernalis 20

be married to spraying continually. “Not everything that is popular is best,” Carren points out. “The serviceberry, for instance, seems so susceptible to fungal diseases that I don’t recommend it. I find pears — ‘Chanticleer’

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Jim Broccolo Clesen Wholesale Grower

Tom Trayser The Brickman Group

Robert Milani Chalet

Jeff Gibson Ball Horticultural Company

Lisa Fiore-Kositzki, L.A. Don Fiore Co., Inc. Landscape Architect

Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees Tree Care Expert

Shrubs or ‘Aristocrat’ and blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) successful understories.” Purchaser Lindsey Muscavitch agrees with Carren on his endorsement of blackhaw viburnums. “It’s a functional plant that performs well,” Muscavitch says of the multi-stemmed shrub that grows 12-15 feet tall with a spread of 6-12 feet. In late spring, blackhaw viburnum has white, flat-topped flowers that give way to blue-black berries in autumn. The shrubs’ ovate, finely toothed, flossy dark green leaves turn red and purple in fall “Witchhazels (Hamamelis vernalis and H. virginiana) can also be a good

Cercis canadensis

understory performer,” Muscavitch continues. Designer Gregory Schaumburg agrees. “When I first moved to Chicago, I didn’t recognize a nursery-grown witchhazel — it looked too nice and not like the sparse and gnarly ones I’d seen in the woods growing up,” Schaumburg says. “I find the large leaf and clean foliage, the clear fall color, and the form of common witchhazel (H. virginiana) make it a great understory tree. The ‘out of regular season’ bloom time is always great to see, if you can get close enough to notice it. “Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are often requested and popular, but can be so sensitive in some microclimates that

they’re unreliable,” notes company president Bob Bertog. “Carlesii (Viburnum carlesii) and Judds (Viburnum x juddii) in the small understory category, always are a great standby, unless they’re poorly trimmed or maintained. If left alone, they’re hard to beat.” (continued on page 22)

Viburnum prunifolium The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Best Understory Trees and Shrubs

(continued from page 21) Account Advisor Todd Fisher says, “For a small understory plant, I’m a fan of the ninebark varieties, especially when wanting to branch out past the more common plants found in the low shrub layer. They seem to be much more popular in the last few years than I’ve ever seen them. ‘Diablo’ and ‘Summerwine’ have nice form, good foliage and don’t require excessively fussy care.” Designer Micki Harring appreciates the yellow, star-shaped early spring flowers and good form of corneliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas). “It does a good job as a ‘space filler’, and while isn’t as showy as C. florida or C. alternifolia, it’s hardier and survives better in our area,” she says. (continued on page 24)

Cornus mas

Cornus. alternifolia

Cornus kousa 22

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Amelanchier canadensis

Carpinus caroliniana

Photos courtesy of The Morton Arboretum The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Best Understory Trees and Shrubs

Tom Kadolph Cedar Path Nurseries When it comes to recommending ornamental understory trees, Tom Kadolph of Cedar Path Nurseries likes “the tried and true”. One that comes to the top of his mind is Amelanchier canadensis, shadblow serviceberry. “It’s so reliable. Its survivability is great. It’s easy to transplant, very adaptable, tolerant of most all conditions, and it has multiple seasons of interest — flowers, fall color and fruit,” Kadolph says, running down the list of reasons he likes this plant. Available in both single and multi-stem forms, Kadolph says the multistem form outsells single-stem ten to one at Cedar Path. Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is another particular favorite. “I can’t get over how great that plant looks when it has enough room to grow,” he says explaining that he likes the horizontal branching, flat-topped cream spring flowers and heavy production of red fruits that mature to blue-black. “It’s super reliable, but it does need well-drained soil,” Kadolph notes. Like Bob Bertog, Kadolph thinks redbuds have a lot to offer as understory trees. He notes they don’t flower

as much in the shade, but he thinks the large, heart-shaped leaf is a great addition to the landscape. Hardiness can be an issue, so Kadolph recommends buying only trees grown from a northern seed source. Not sure about the seed source? Kadolph has this advice: “If you’re buying from a local grower, by the time you get your hands on that tree, it has proven itself through four, five, six winters. It should be fine,” he says. Finally, Kadolph likes crabapples. “It’s a nice plant as an understory, although certain cultivars work better in shade than others,” he notes. One of his particular favorites is ‘Prairifire’ whose red buds open to pinkish-red flowers. He also likes that the new foliage is reddish maroon, offering additional color before it matures to green. Leaf spot may be a bit of a problem on plants grown in shade, he notes so he recommends looking for resistant varieties. If you’re not sure how resistant a crab is, go to the nursery, he says. “In the nursery, it’s apparent what’s most resistant when you see the materials all lined out.”

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Robert Milani, Chalet Robert Milani, Senior Landscape Architect at Chalet, is a big fan of dogwoods in the understory. “Because of the climate changing even a little bit, we’re seeing more plants that can now grow in our area,” he notes. One of his favorite dogwoods is the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa). He likes the structure provided by the horizontal branching habit, the white bracts (maturing to pink) that turn those horizontal branches into a dramatic, cloud-like display in spring, followed by showy red drupes in late summer and dazzling orange-red fall color. “It’s a very ornamental plant that gives you four seasons of interest,” Milani says. Milani especially likes the cultivar ‘Satomi’ which has pink flowers and bracts in late spring. “You don’t see it very often,” he admits, and that’s a shame. “When it blooms, the flowers cover the entire tree like a cloud. It’s very showy.” “More and more nurserymen are growing dogwoods these days,” Milani says, adding that Chalet is growing them at its nursery in Salem, WI. “Our client base is very discerning. They want to see plants that are unique and different,” he says, although he notes, “You have to temper that interest and enthusiasm in having the newest thing because we want to utilize plants that are not only beautiful and showy but also proven to be hardy and dependable.” Japanese beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) is fairly inconspicuous for most of the growing season. In fall, however, the small pink flowers that bloomed along the leaf axils almost without anyone noticing have matured into brilliant, lilac-violet fruits that cluster along the entire length of the cascading stems. “It’s very striking,” Milani says. He likes to pair beautyberry with Annabelle hydrangeas. “The combination of the white flowers with those purple berries is gorgeous,” he says. For a much different look, Milani likes bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). Everything about this wide-spreading, multi-stemmed shrub is big. Its palmately compound leaves can be up to eight inches long. In summer, the plant is covered in showy white panicles up to a foot long. “It grows 10-12 feet tall and much wider, colonizing to become a large grouping,” Milani says.

Aesculus parviflora

Callicarpa japonica

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Best Understory Trees and Shrubs

Kevin McGowen, Kaknes Landscape Supply Like Milani, Kevin McGowen, operations manager at Kaknes Landscape Supply, is a fan of Aesculus parviflora “When I first started in this business, it was elusive and very expensive. Only one nursery I knew of actually had any to sell, and it was pricey,” he recalls. Later, while working at Midwest Groundcovers, McGowen planted a hedge of them in the display gardens where he loved photographing them in bloom. “The large spikes of white flowers were just covered with native bees and all sorts of fun insects,” he says. Later, on a trip to Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware, “right near the parking lot of this amazing garden was a Bottlebrush Buckeye in full bloom,” McGowen recalls. “Fluttering all around the flowers were Tiger Swallowtails. Lots of them! This was full shade! This is something I’ll never forget. An amazing plant!” “Fothergilla is one of my favorite shrubs, period,” McGowen says of Fothergilla gardenii. A compact, slow-growing plant that matures to 2-3 feet tall with similar spread, this plant is often prized for its excellent fall color. McGowen notes this is especially true when planted near conifers. “The acidity of the needles gives this plant a much better fall color. Oranges, reds and sometimes purples grace the leaves in late autumn,” he says. McGowen also likes the bottlebrush flowers in spring and the scalloped foliage, which, he says, looks interesting all year. “The disadvantage of this plant is that it is rabbit food,” he admits. “They absolutely love it. So if you have a large population of rabbits, this plant won’t last.” Like Bob Bertog, McGowen also likes Cercis canadensis, but that wasn’t always so. It took seeing the tree in its natural state to win him over. “The Morton Arboretum changed my tune on redbud,” he says. “I saw them growing naturally as an understory tree. Blooming in the dark woods seemed to make sense to me much more than seeing that dark pink color paired with 1980’s army green colored houses. Okay, not all the houses were that color, but there was one very close to my house that just drove me bonkers. But at The Morton Arboretum, there is a group of them that border a lake surrounded with Mertensia virginica. It was my absolute favorite spring destination: full bloomed bluebells with redbud blooms reflecting off the tranquil waters before me.” A roadtrip to Indianapolis one winter gave McGowen a special appreciation for Carpinus caroliniana. ”There was snow and ice all 26

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Firespire™ or ‘J.N. Strain’ will assure you of the color if that’s what you are looking for.

Bottlebrush Buckeye in full bloom

over,” he recalls. “The oaks had all lost their leaves, but the musclewood hadn’t. This would make it an ideal understory plant if you needed something to hold its leaves for screening purposes.” Aside from that, McGowen likes the spring catkins and especially, the bark. “The smooth gray bark looks much like an elephant’s skin with raging muscles,” he notes. “Fall color can range from dirty yellows to outstanding reds and oranges. Purchasing a cultivar like Firespire™ or ‘J.N. Strain’ will assure you of the color if that’s what you are looking for,” he notes, adding, “The straight species is great in its own right, but the work of Mike Yanny is pretty spectacular.”

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Board of Directors Profile

New ILCA Board Member— Kevin Manning by Meta Levin

New ILCA Board Member

Kevin Manning remembers accompanying his father to Summer Field Day, Mid-Am and other ILCA events when he was young. A small landscape contractor, his father thought it was important and instilled that in his son. Today, Manning has his own landscape contracting firm, K&D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc., and has followed his father’s footsteps into ILCA, joining in 1998, as soon as he started his own business. “I always knew that ILCA was a good tool that was there when I needed it,” he says. While he was building his company Manning had little time to be active, but about two years ago he was asked to become a part of the iLandscape experience committee. “I met a great group of people,” he says. “It was a terrific experience putting together a new show from creation to production.” That led to the board. Kevin Vancina, then ILCA president, approached Manning about becoming a board member. It took a little thought, he admits, but “the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a great way to meet more people and help shape ILCA.” His path to the landscape business started at the bottom, working as a laborer for his father. Gradually he learned to do other jobs and by the time he became a student at the University of Illinois, he had decided to major in horticulture. Once out of school, he went into the golf course business for a few years, including managing the course, improvements and construction. It was a lot of work. “I figured if I was going to work that many hours, I would go back 28

to the landscape contracting business and work for myself,” Manning says. So, K&D was born. At first he had only one employee, which meant that Manning was doing everything. Gradually the business grew and he brought on more people as needed. Today he has about 45 employees. K&D offers residential and commercial installation and maintenance. During the winter the company does snow removal. When he is not working, he and his wife, Melanie, love to travel with the family – two children, ages five and 11. They swim, boat and spend time at the beach. “We are lucky, because my parents own a house on a lake in Wisconsin,” says Manning. “We spend a lot of time there.” Although Manning does not yet have any particular goals for his time on the ILCA board, he is eagerly anticipating the experience. “I’m looking forward to seeing what is involved,” he says.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Committee Chair Profile

Summer Field Day Committee Chair— Jon Warner by Meta Levin

“Cantigny is a great place,”

says Jon Warner, the 2014-2015 ILCA Summer Field Day Chair. “The grounds themselves are going to be a draw.” And that is just one of the reasons he is happy to be chairing the event. Warner’s ILCA journey started about 15 years ago when he was selling commercial mowing equipment and began exhibiting at Summer Field Day. He believed the show was geared more toward growers and landscape architects. Each year he would complete a survey stating his opinion until someone suggested that if he wanted his voice heard, he should get on the committee. He did. That was about 2006. Since 1998 Warner has spent most of his career on the equipment side of the industry. He started in the parts department, working his way into sales for “the industry that I love.” At one point, he got out for nearly two years, but quickly learned that what he refers to as a “cube farm” wasn’t for him. He missed the opportunity to be outdoors. “It’s kind of hard to argue against being in an industry in which I can be outside all of the time,” he says. “The view changes every day.” So, he returned to selling equipment to landscape contractors. The people he has met are a close knit group. Warner enjoys working with his customers, from commercial landscape contractors to those doing maintenance. When Warner started on the Summer Field Day Committee and, especially, when he became its chair, his primary goal was, and continues to be, to grow the show. “The only thing that we can’t control is Mother Nature,” he says. The committee is constantly working on everything else. In addition to more educational offerings, Warner and his committee are doing

more to encourage people to come and stay. For instance, they have re-instituted a bags tournament, as well as a beer tent sponsored by one of the exhibitors. “It’s a long day, but a fun day,” he says. Attendees not only can enjoy themselves, but earn CEU credits, as well. The committee also is working on other additions and changes. “There should not be a glass ceiling,” he says. In other words, the sky is the limit as to what can happen, although he admits that “it is a challenge packing everything into one day.” A busy guy, Warner is no stranger to packing a lot into the time available. The father of four children – a nine-year-old daughter, a seven-year-old son and twin six-year-olds – he spends a lot of time with his family. “We spend a lot of time at home playing catch.” They also explore the City of Chicago. Right now the children are partial to Navy Pier, where they ride the Ferris Wheel, and the Sky Deck at Willis Tower. Warner and his sons are die-hard Chicago White Sox fans, while his wife and daughter root for the Cubs. His relentlessly Chicago based sports loyalties has earned him some ribbing from his current employer, Ariens Company, located in Brillion, WI. His boss sits on the Green Bay Packers board, but everyone knows that Warner is a Chicago Bears fan. “I take my lumps on the chin,” he says. “They’re huge Packers fans.” Warner also likes to play play golf and fish. Right now he is focusing on Summer Field Day, August 5, at Cantigny Park. “I am super excited about Cantigny Park,” he says. “It’s nice and open. This should be an exciting and fun show.” The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Special Report — Renewal and Remembrance 2015 Day on

Renewal and Rem

by Rick Reuland

After 21 years

of service to ILCA, there are not too many events that I have not seen, attended or photographed. This July 20-21, 2015 I was able to check a big one off the list as I attended the annual Renewal and Rembrance event and Day on the Hill sponsored by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). Each of the past 19 years, ILCA has sent one of the largest state delegations to Washington D.C. for this important event. Organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Renewal and Remembrance involves more than 400 volunteer landscape professionals from throughout the United States. According to NALP, Renewal & Remembrance is the largest landscape industry day of service in the country. More than 200 of the cemetery’s 624 acres were touched by volunteers. Volunteer crews spread mulch, pruned, aerated, planted, spread lime and applied gypsum. Approximately 80 tons of lime were applied to 182 acres of turf to ensure Arlington’s rolling green landscape remains pristine. By helping to neutralize acidic soils, the application of limestone makes nutrients in the soil more available to Arlington’s lawns. “Arlington National Cemetery holds a special place in the hearts of Americans. Its breathtaking appearance reflects the high esteem that we bestow on our veterans and service members who have given so much for all of us,” said NALP president Scott Jamieson, Landscape Industry Certified. “It is a rewarding honor to be able to give back, as an association of landscape professionals, by helping to care for these sacred grounds.” The day began with a keynote address from Senator Kelly Ayotte (R) of New Hampshire. She and her husband own a landscape business in Nashua, NH. 32

the Hill

membrance 2015

Rusty Maulding

Dan Wanzung

Scott Grams

Special Report â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Renewal and Remembrance 2015

Your ILCA work crew included l to r: Dan Wanzung and his daughter Madelyn, Rusty and Corrie Maulding with son Eli, Libby Reuland, Tom Lupfer, Maureen Scheitz, and ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams. Not pictured Dave Froede and Rick Reuland.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Day on the Hill

ILCA Members Sound Off on Issues That Matter The second day of the NALP event was the Legislative Day on the Hill. Here members can witness first hand just how the nation’s business “gets done.” The day officially began in the Rayburn House office building. Here we were briefed on the issues of interest to ILCA and coached by Scott Grams as to what we might expect in the ensuing small group meetings. Five issues were addressed due to their importance to the industry. These issues included: the H-2B employment cap; the STARS Act of 2015 which creates a consistent, albeit ill-fitting definition for seasonal workers; the Clean Water Act (Waters of the United States Rule); Establishment of the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee; and the White House Pollinator Task Force and its impact on the green industry. Meeting were set with both Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. Additional meetings were scheduled with 12 Congressional offices. To accomplish this task, the group was divided into two teams. The first team included ILCA Past President Dan Wanzung, his daughter Madelyn, ILCA Board Member Tom Lupfer, Legislative Committee member Dave Froede, Rick Reuland and my daughter Libby.

The second team was led by Scott Grams and included ILCA President Rusty Maulding, his wife Corrie and their son Eli; ILCA Board Member Maureen Scheitz; and representatives of the IL Professional Lawn Care Association: Harold Enger, Mark Utendorf, Thomas Warfel and his wife.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Special Report — Day on the Hill

Group meeting with Sen. Kirk’s office.

Group meeting with Rep. Roskam’s office.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Group meeting with Rep. Danny Davis.

Group meeting with Rep. Kinzingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Enfoque: Sección en Español

Enfoque en el diseño digital

Por Meta Levin

Cuando

Daniel Tal descubrió el diseño con imágenes tridimensionales (3D), se abrió un nuevo mundo para él. De pronto, sus diseños adquirieron una nueva apariencia, la habilidad de transmitir más información, beneficiando tanto a sus clientes como a él mismo. Actualmente, el arquitecto paisajista registrado tiene a su cargo un laboratorio de 3D para una compañía de ingeniería de Denver, Colorado, consulta con una compañía de imágenes tridimensionales sobre formas de hacer el producto más valioso para arquitectos y diseñadores paisajistas y planificadores de sitios; y viaja por el país realizando talleres

sobre el software SketchUp. En 2015 presentó un taller de dos días para ILCA, con tanto éxito que está programado otro taller similar de cuatro días para el próximo año. SketchUp es un elemento de software de diseño tridimensional relativamente bien conocido, popular entre contratistas de servicios de paisajismo y arquitectos y diseñadores paisajistas. Tal entró tarde en el mundo de la tecnología informática. Tiene recuerdos entrañables de cuando jugaba con su Apple 2E, adquirida cuando estudiaba en la escuela elemental. Pero cuando la computadora dejó de funcionar después

de varios años, no hubo más. “No toqué ninguna computadora entre los años 1983 y 1998”, afirma. Cuando volvió a usar computadoras y descubrió lo que podía hacer con los diseños, se enamoró. Los talleres de Tal tienen el propósito de facilitar a las personas un formato que sirva de introducción al tema. A partir de ahí, desarrolla los temas hasta llegar al diseño general de sitios, nivelado y modelado de terrenos. Incluso en Illinois,

notoriamente plano, es necesario nivelar los terrenos. Los diseños de SketchUp usualmente comienzan con una plantilla en blanco, lo que permite a los usuarios importar planos de diseño asistido por computadora (CAD, por sus siglas en inglés) o dibujos hechos a manos, a partir de los cuales pueden modelar directamente. Los usuarios también pueden modelar empezado de cero, según sea necesario. “Las herramientas básicas que vienen con el software son fáciles y rápidas de usar”, afirma. Varios clics y modos de arrastre permiten a los usuarios dibujar a escala. Hay dispositivos de conexión (“plug-ins”) o “extensiones” para el software, destinados a usos específicos, incluyendo, diseño de sitio, así como una amplia biblioteca de plantas. Con la biblioteca de plantas, los usuarios pueden seleccionar y colocar en su lugar varios tipos de plantas. Debido a que estos también son tridimensionales, se pueden observar desde varios ángulos,

lo que permite a los usuarios ver la apariencia del diseño desde diferentes perspectivas. Y, sí, eso incluye sombras. Otras extensiones permiten a los usuarios doblar los modelos para adaptarlos a curvas y realizar transformaciones fotorrealistas. El diseño gráfico, por ejemplo, permite un enlace directo con el modelo SketchUp, facilitando funciones de impresión y documentación. Tal recomienda SketchUp por varios motivos: es menos caro que muchos otros paquetes de software tridimensionales disponibles; es relativamente sencillo y sus elementos básicos son fáciles de aprender, por lo cual los nuevos usuarios pueden comenzar a aplicarlo casi de inmediato y es fácil de adaptar a usos y necesidades particulares. Cuando los arquitectos o diseñadores paisajistas comiencen a usar el programa, Tal considera que descu-

brirán que les permite presentar planes a sus clientes de forma más racionalizada. De esa manera, pueden mostrar a los clientes una visión más realista de los diseños de paisajismo propuestos, desde varios ángulos. Si bien actualmente los modelos de SketchUp pueden ser importados a software de Modelado de información de construcción (BIM, por sus siglas en inglés), vienen con imágenes estáticas, no con la riqueza de datos que caracteriza las imágenes tridimensionales del BIM. Tal es una de muchas personas que trabajan con desarrolladores de SketchUp de varias compañías para rectificar esto, porque BIM se está convirtiendo en el estándar en la industria de la construcción. Por este motivo, considera que los arquitectos paisajistas que trabajan con diseño de sitios para proyectos de nuevas construcciones, necesitarán estar en capacidad de coordinar sus diseños con la arquitectura de software de BIM.

Enfoque: Sección en Español Usando su experiencia en arquitectura paisajista, Tal ha trabajado con desarrolladores de SketchUp para crear herramientas y otras innovaciones para satisfacer las necesidades de los arquitectos paisajistas, lo que ha tenido como resultado no solo un sitio web dedicado al diseño de sitios en el software, sino también, dos libros, “Rendering in SketchUp” (Transformaciones en SketchUp) y ”SketchUp for Site Design” (SketchUp para el diseño de sitios). Su esposa colaboró con él en estos libros. Normalmente ubicados en un laboratorio de computadoras, sus talleres constituyen experiencias prácticas. Las computadoras en el laboratorio son precargadas con software de SketchUp, así como con diferentes tutoriales. Tal demuestra cómo y para qué se puede usar el software, luego los participantes trabajan en proyectos de prácticas. Utiliza vídeos, así como otros recursos y asistentes de enseñanza para instruir a los participantes. A través de los años, ha notado que

algunos estudiantes se familiarizan con el software de inmediato. Para otros, eso toma un poco más de tiempo y práctica. Y hay algunos a los que les resulta difícil adaptarse, a pesar de que SketchUp está diseñado para ser fácil de usar. En sus talleres, asistentes de enseñanza se sientan con los de la tercera categoría para ayudarles a avanzar paso a paso en cada ejercicio. En cada caso, Tal anima a los participantes a “integrar el software en su práctica tomando un dibujo del sitio y transformándolo en un modelo tridimensional”, afirma. Los insta a seleccionar un programa que les resulte adecuado y aprenderlo. “La tridimensionalidad es un requisito en muchos trabajos de diseño, especialmente los de nivel básico e intermedio. Si no la aprenden, sus competidores lo harán”. Descubrió SketchUp mientras trabajaba para Edaw, una importante firma grande de arquitectura paisajista, planificación urbana, economía y servicios culturales y ambientales, ahora propiedad

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

de AECom, una compañía de gestión de diseño, programas y construcción. Durante ese tiempo, habló con su gerente de proyectos sobre la posibilidad de usar SketchUp para proyectos, pero se le dijo que eso no era factible ni valioso. “Escribí un documento interno explicando por qué debíamos adoptarlo”, dice, y comenzó a trabajar con el programa por su cuenta. “Deseaba crear diseños tridimensionales”. Y lo está haciendo. Y le enseña a otros a hacerlo. Mirando siempre hacia el futuro de la tecnología. Desde el punto de vista de Tal, todo esto es muy emocionante.

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DeVroomen Garden Products Celebrates 90th Anniversary by Meta Levin

From The Nether-

lands to the United States and now all over the world, DeVroomen Garden Products has made great strides. This year it is celebrating its 90th Anniversary with the opening of a new facility and global headquarters in Gurnee, IL. This is a story of flowers, bulbs and perennials, as well as family in equal amounts. Jacobus Theodorus iLandscape was the kickoff for the DeVroomen 90th anniversary DeVroomen founded the company in 1925. His grand- celebration. Pictured l to r: Roland Van Den Bergh, Jac DeVroomen, daughter, Cindy DeVroomen Patrick Ramsdell and Richard Walsh. and her husband now own it. In between was an ocean and a lot of work. Hugo DeVroomen, one of the founder’s sons, first fell in love with the United States in 1953 when he and his wife visited on their honeymoon, according to his daughter, Cindy DeVroomen. He had traveled to the country before, but the honeymoon trip was special, sealing the decision to eventually start an American DeVroomen division. Brothers Dick and Hugo DeVroomen, together with their brother, Ben, took over the company in the 1950s. They traveled to the United States in the early 1960s. Instead of setting up shop on the east coast, as most other bulb companies were doing, they bought a truck, loaded it up with product and drove to Rosemont, IL. Yes, Rosemont. That Rosemont 42

The Landscape Contractor August 2015

– the one out by O’Hare Airport. “They were working out of a storage locker and would walk across the street and sell bulbs out of a hotel room,” says Roland Van Den Bergh, DeVroomen Garden Products’ US Chief Operating Officer. By 1961 the US division was established. Canada followed soon after. Now, in its 90th year, DeVroomen sells wholesale flower bulbs, bare root perennials and plugs all around the world. The company’s 90th anniversary festivities began with a large cake and balloons during the 2015 iLandscape. They continued, in a way, with intensive work on what will become the new worldwide headquarters in Gurnee, IL, a 75,000 square foot, state of the art building. And the celebration will culminate with a party opening the new facility on a date to be announced. The company will not, however, abandon its current facility in Russell, IL. The company has focused on the landscape market, becoming known for their true to name flower bulbs, which have been displayed all over the world. In 2006, after learning of the late Maggie Daley’s love for tulips, as well as her breast cancer diagnosis, and (continued on page 44)

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(continued from page 42) as a salute to her husband, who is known for promoting flowers (including tulips) and landscaping throughout the City of Chicago, DeVroomen named a pink, lily flowering tulip after her. “I was in Holland when I got the word that she had cancer,” says Van Den Bergh. “We thought we should do something special for her and her legacy.” Normally it takes 25 year before a tulip gets a name, but Van Den Bergh and his colleagues walked through the fields. When they found the pink, lily flowering tulip, they knew they had found the right one. DeVroomen has made great strides, not only growing, but working to improve the way it serves its customers. For instance, in 1946 it put out its first catalogue containing color pictures. By 1966 it was shipping products by air. The brothers were among the first to introduce controlled sea containers to optimize product quality during shipment. That was when everything was grown in The Netherlands. Now, however, product is grown in not only in The Netherlands, but also in Kentucky and Oregon. After buying Simple Pleasures retail brand in 2014, the company expanded its retail program for independent garden centers. In addition to the logo on packaging, there will now be pictures on the landscape bags, allowing the landscape contractors and their crews to see what is going in the ground. “That’s new this year,” says Van Den Bergh. DeVroomen also believes in supporting its community, that includes the areas in which it is located, as well as the industry. To that end, Van Den Bergh serves on the advisory board for the Gateway Technical College’s horticulture program. “This industry is looking for educated people who can come out of college ready to work,” he says. “The students don’t know that there is good money to be made and great careers to be had in this industry.” The company is looking beyond its anniversary to what lies ahead. There is still the emphasis on customer service and forming relationships – something at which DeVroomen excels – but there is so much more on the horizon. “This is a wonderful industry,” says Van Den Bergh.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

It Happened at iLandscape

Proven Perennials for Modern Landscapes By Patrice Peltier

Thirty years running the Plant Evaluation

Program at Chicago Botanic Garden has given Richard Hawke the opportunity to carefully observe a lot of plants. Currently, there are 29 comparative trials at the gardens including more than 55,000 plants. Plants are grown with limited maintenance and evaluated for a minimum of four years for their winter hardiness, insect and disease resistance, ornamental and habit traits and cultural adaptability to the site’s soil and environment. You can learn a lot from growing a group of plants side by side year after year. Hawke has learned enough to make a plant geek swoon, and during iLandscape, he shared some of his findings with attendees in a presentation titled “Proven Perennials for Modern Landscapes.” All the plants in Hawke’s presentation received high marks in the evaluation, although he was quick to point out that there are other good plants that didn’t make his list.

Agastache

Agastaches are a tricky genera, according to Hawke. “I’d love to do a big Agastache trial, but I’ve been nervous because of the disappointment factor. So many of them are iffy,” he says. Hawke says the purple-blue-flowered Agastaches have generally performed well in the Chicago Botanic Garden trials. The ones with the orange, yellow, pink and red flowers—not so much, he says. Agastache ‘Purple Haze’ has been an impressive performer, according to Hawke. Its purple-blue flowers bloom in upright clusters up to 11 inches long from late June until frost. At 38” tall by 36” wide, it is slightly shorter as Agastaches go. He likes its refined habit and the fact that no seedlings were observed in the trial. A taller Agastache, ‘Black Adder,’ is also fully hardy, Hawke says. It has lavender flowers with purple-blue calyces giving the blooms a darker appearance. If you want to try a warmer-hued Agastache, Hawke favors ‘Orange Flare’ which has orange flowers with purple calyces in loose clusters from late July until frost. ‘Orange Flare’ grew well for four years in the trial, but died during the severe winter of 2013-14. “That was pretty much what I expected,” Hawke says. (continued on page 48) The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 46)

Amsonia

In this genera, Hawke featured two plants that show the contrast in this group. Neither have the needle-like foliage associated with the more commonly known Amsonia hubrichtii. “I really like ‘Blue Ice’. It is a really strong performer,” Hawke says. “It has the widest petals and the darkest blue flowers.” ‘Blue Ice’ grows 20” tall by 36” wide in full sun to partial shade and flowers in May and June. In the trials at Chicago Botanic Garden, Amsonia montana ‘Short Stack’ grew twice its advertised height, but it was still only 20” tall by 36” wide. It has pale blue flowers and limey green to strong yellow fall color. “With Amsonias, it’s not just about their spring flowers—which are very nice,” Hawke says. “It’s about their habit, and in most cases, about their fall color.”

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Athyrium niponicum “This is a wonderful group,” Hawke says. Although he initially doubted there was much difference between cultivars, planting them side-by-side in a large trial, Hawke says he was able to see some of them were quite distinctive. One that he liked was Athyrium niponicum ‘Silver Falls.’ Its bright, silvery green fronds with purple veining and

‘Silver Falls’

irregular, arching habit are quite striking, he says. He also liked A. niponicum var. pictum ‘Apple Court.’ The fasciated — or tassled — tips of the silvery fronds give the plant what Hawke describes as a “frothy” texture. (continued on page 50)

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 49)

Baptisia

Hawke featured three plants developed by Chicago Botanic Garden colleague and plant breeder Jim Ault and introduced through Chicagoland Grows™: Midnight Prairieblues™, Sunny Morning Prairieblues™, and Lunar Eclipse Prairieblues™. Hawke is particularly excited about Sunny Morning Prairieblues, a 2015 introduction. “It’s such a beautiful plant,” Hawke says. The butter-yellow

flowers bloom in late spring to early summer on smoky purple stems. “It’s so bright in bloom. It’s a really cheerful plant,” Hawke says. He notes that Ault and other breeders are working to create smaller Baptisias. At 36” tall, Sunny Morning Prairieblues is somewhat more compact, but still has a spread of 68”. Hawke is a big fan of another 2015 introduction: Lunar Eclipse Prairieblues. Growing 33’ tall by 63” wide, this plant features cream flowers that fade to lavender and age to violet. Often all three colors are present on the plant. “It’s a stunning, three-tone effect,” Hawke says.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Echinacea

People are still talking about coneflowers, Hawke says, so he highlighted six in his presentation. One of his favorites is ‘Firebird.’ “It’s what I always hoped Orange Meadowbrite™ would be,” Hawke says. “It’s a strong, robust plant, with beautiful orange flowers that fade to a nice orange.” Hawke also likes ‘White Mist’ for its 4 ½-5” wide, pure white flowers.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

It Happened at iLandscape Geranium

Geums

Hawke highlighted two fall-blooming Geraniums: G. soboliferum ‘Starman’ and ‘Butterfly Kisses’. “I’d be happy to have either one of them in my garden,” Hawke says. “They extend geraniums into fall. You just let them look good all summer, then they bloom and have good fall foliage color, and then it’s winter. It doesn’t get easier than that.” He notes that ‘Butterfly Kisses’, which has purple-striated flowers, was introduced by Illinois plantsman Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens. For more information on the comparative geranium trials, see the “Garden Speak” article in the January, 2015 issue of The Landscape Contractor.

Hawke is a big fan of Geums and is hardpressed to understand why they aren’t used more in the landscape. He’s evaluated 52 species and cultivars over nine years at the garden. (See the March, 2015 issue of The Landscape Contractor for more information.) Hawke credits Horvath with several introductions that may popularize this genera. “I think his plants will open the door to Geums for a lot of people,” Hawke predicts. “He has introduced softer colors with flowers that look like little roses.” Geum ‘Mai Tai’ has semi-double, apricot flowers

(continued from page 51)

that age beautifully, Hawke says. “That’s the one that got people’s attention.” He also likes the way the bright, orange-red flowers of ‘Sangria’ blossom on stems up to 35” tall. “They really command attention standing that tall,” he says.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Lychjen’ This plant wasn’t part of a comparative trial. Someone sent it to Hawke and asked him to take a look. “I didn’t know this species before I got this plant. I didn’t know what to expect,” Hawke recalls. He liked what he saw: a very floriferous display of “little pink balls of petals”. The plant blooms from early June through mid-July and then sporadically into August on stems that rise 10-15” above the foliage, giving the plant a see-through effect.

Phlox After two Phlox trials totally nearly a dozen years, Hawke jokingly says, “I’d be happy if I never looked at another Phlox— for a while, anyway.” (For more information on the Phlox trials, see the “Garden Speak” article in the July, 2015 issue of The Landscape Contractor.) Phlox maculata ‘Flower Power’ is a standout in Hawke’s book for its fragrant white flowers with a pink blush. Flowering from early July into September, Hawke says he was impressed by how profusely the plant flowers. “It’s just out of control,” he says. (continued on page 54)

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It Happened at iLandscape Schizachyrium scoparium Hawke highlight two plants: ‘Jazz’ introduced by Horvath at Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, and ‘Carousel’ introduced by another Illinois nurseryman, Don Boehm. Both are shorter than the species and remain upright.

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Stachys Stachys officinalis ‘Pink Cotton Candy’ is a cultivar Hawke discovered in his trial garden. Its bright pink, two-tone flowers caught his attention right away. “I think this pink is an easier color for most people to use” he says. ‘Pink Cotton Candy’ is a 2015 introduction by Chicagoland Grows. He also highlighted S. minima, a dwarf betony that grows 8” tall and 12” wide. In July and early August, the compact mounds are covered in bright violet flowers. “It’s an amazing plant,” Hawke says.

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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It Happened at iLandscape

Stokesia laevis

Hawke has found this plant has generally not been long-lived in the trials. They need well drained soil, and often wet feet in winter have been their downfall, he says. That’s why ‘Honeysong Purple’ caught his attention. “In eight years, it never skipped a beat,” he says. ‘Honeysong Purple’ has 3”-wide, dark purple flowers from early July into September. It grows 18” tall and 24” wide in full sun to light shade.

Thalictrum

“I love Thalictrums,” says Hawke. “There are very few I’ve not liked.” One strong performer is ‘Elin’. “You can’t go wrong with Elin. It’s big; it’s solid; it’s a pillar of leaves, and its flowers are typical of a rochebruneanum,” he says. Hawke is also partial to ‘Splendide’. “No Thalictrum I’ve grown produces more flowers than this one,” he says of the plant that has lavender and yellow flowers from late July into November. At 75” tall and 24” wide, ‘Splendide’ comes with an important caveat. “It HAS to be supported,” Hawke warns. “It will go down in a heart beat without support, but the extra effort is worth it.” (Watch for more information on the Thalictrum trial in “Garden Speak” in the November, 2015 issue of The Landscape Contractor.)

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’

“This Vernonia is a really cool plant—very different from anything else out there. It has needle-like foliage, so it looks like Amsonia hubrichtii through most of the year, and then

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Veronica in late summer it flowers,” Hawke says. “The trouble with most Vernonias is they’re enormous. They can be 10-12’ tall.” Plant breeders are working on shorter cultivars. ‘Iron Butterfly’ did well in the trials. It grows 30” tall and 45” wide, with ½” wide purple flowers from late August into early October.

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The gardens trialed 64 species and cultivars of Veronica over 10 years. One of the standouts was a Chicagoland Grows™ introduction: Veronica ‘Tidal Pool’. A mat-forming groundcover, ‘Tidal Pool’ grows 3-4” tall with a spread of 30”. Its blueviolet, ½” wide flowers appear from early to mid-May through mid-June and then sporadically into September. “It’s almost always got flowers into September,” Hawke notes. Although he doesn’t recommend planting it in an overly moist soil, he was also impressed by how much water the plant tolerated. Parts of the trial bed where it was planted were like a tidal pool, Hawke says.

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closes, another opens. Or that’s what they say. Nadine McChesney was in the midst of a career change – she was studying horticulture at Joliet Junior College – when the recession hit. Her full time job turned into a part time one. Things did not look good. People, including one of her professors, however, had taken notice of her artistic abilities, as well as her history with flower arranging. “People were coming up to me and asking me to do work,” she says. “My professor asked if I wanted a job.” One thing led to another and on June 12, 2012 she filed papers to officially open, Details! Details! Landscape Design. The company provides landscape design for homeowners who want to do their own work. She will, however, work with her clients to get the second step – the installation – done. This can mean coaching them while they are doing the work themselves or subcontracting the installation work to one of her trusted partners. “Each job is different,” she says. McChesney has a varied background. With a two year certificate in art, she initially nabbed a job as a layout artist, doing a lot of pastel renderings, as well as pen and ink drawings. Her real passion, however, was horticulture. Eventually she became a floral designer, studying at what was then the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and opening her own flower shop, along with her husband. When her husband became ill, they 58

sold the shop and she got another job. “I’ve always had a position in sales or design,” McChesney says. After 9-11 she began thinking about a career change. “I realized that if I wanted to go into landscape design, I needed to learn more of the technical side.” Her work at Joliet Junior College led to all sorts of opportunities. Following up on a lead from one of her professors, she ended up doing some work for a tree nursery, getting experience in big projects. “As a student I got onto some large estates,” she says. “I branched out more and more.” McChesney did her internship with Grant and Power Landscaping. “I had a good experience and wonderful opportunities,” she says. “It gave me the courage to go out on my own.” All of her designs are hand drafted, something she believes her clients appreciate. “They like the idea of seeing their houses as a piece of art,” she says. “Most of my clients really love their homes.” They also are particular about what they want. More and more clients are asking for native plants. “A lot are green conscious,” she says. “Many ask about how I feel about what they are seeing on TV.” Increasingly they want low maintenance, something they can handle on the weekends. They want advice on container gardening and, with the devastation wrought by the Emerald Ash Borer, they are looking for advice about trees. “They are becoming more educated. They want to know about the size and spread of a tree.” The Landscape Contractor August 2015

This pleases McChesney. “I can come off as more professional and I like helping people find an answer,” she says. “I spend time educating myself; I keep up with the trends, check what my competition is doing and do extra, unique things for my clients.” Until now, McChesney, who recently finished her associate degree in horticulture, has gotten all of her clients through referrals. With formal schooling behind her, she is looking to grow her business and is exploring ways to publicize it. She gravitated toward ILCA, because she believes that it is a premier institution. “I would like to associate myself with people who are members,” she says. “It will help me grow.” In particular, she believes the networking will be valuable to help her learn what works and what doesn’t work. She also wants to take advantage of educational opportunities. The future seems bright to McChesney. “I always try to keep myself open to new opportunities.”

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

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The Landscape Contractor August 2015

By Patrice Peltier

Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’

Some plants

— just like All-Star athletes — make everyone around them look better. What’s a plant you can use—and recommend-- with confidence? We’ve asked ILCA members to share their thoughts on proven performers. Cotinus, or smoketree, tend to be the forgotten cousin when designers are making plant decisions for large ornamental shrubs. Perhaps it is because they are not as easy to locate in larger B&B sizes, but I think Cotinus are very showy and versatile for use as a focal point or mass planting. Cotinus, as a whole, are very adaptable to different soil types. I have been surprised at how adaptable they really are - having used them in very gravelly soils and in wet and poorly-drained housing development soils. There are few other woody plants that can tolerate that range of soil types. They do, however, need a sunny exposure to thrive. There are many different Cotinus available at nurseries. Most are varieties of C. coggygria. One of my favorites is the ‘Grace’ selection. It is a hybrid between Cotinus coggygria and Cotinus obovatus (our US native smoketree). It grows in a wide vase shape to about 20 feet tall, but can be pruned back hard to keep it in bounds in a restricted planting area. It can grow several feet in one year. ‘Grace’ has a unique blue-green summer foliage color which tends to be easier to incorporate into the landscape than the purple and lime-yellow selections. The pink, plumy flower panicles (“smoke”) are over 12 inches long and develop in early summer. Cotinus ‘Grace’ provides three seasons of interest in your garden with low maintenance. The winter silhouette can be quite coarse, so it usually looks best tucked in behind other dense foreground companion shrubs. In fall, the coloration is hard to beat. Bright oranges and neon reds grab your attention in the landscape. Try out the adaptable and showy Cotinus ‘Grace’ on your next design. You’ll be hooked!

Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’ facts— Size:

Foliage:

15-20’ tall with equal spread

Culture

Flowers:

Very adaptable to soil types and moisture. Requires full sun.

Opens iridescent green overlaid with red, turns blue-green in summer, maturing to brilliant oranges and reds.

12”-long, showy pink panicles look like billows of smoke around the shrub in early summer.

Alex Head Plant Buyer Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply Alex has been at Fiore Nursery for 15 years. He is the plant buyer, specializing in sourcing hard-to-find items and answering customer horticulture questions. He has a background in landscape construction and design.

The Landscape Contractor August 2015